- Where are you originally from? I have Denver roots, but I was born and raised in St. Louis
- Why did you choose to attend DU? I wanted to move to Colorado and DU offered the best mix of academic challenge and recent soccer success. I visited the campus during my senior high school year. My host introduced me to a couple younger players (Frank Suyat made an impression) who happened to be meeting up for an informal kick around on a sunny spring afternoon. Later that evening, I randomly bumped into a number of the older players (Scott Patterson, Lars Hovland and Knut Johansen) at the Border. There were several reasons why I chose to attend DU, but my first visit and the positive interaction with several members of the team made a huge positive impression and may have ultimately tipped the scales.
- Where are you now/what are you doing?: I work as an actuarial consultant in London, servicing UK and European clients. I reside in Munich with my German wife (Steffi) and 2 kids (Anna and Collin).
- Last time you touched a soccer ball/where?: I still play club soccer for the Munich Irish Rovers (an English speaking football club in Munich). These days, my participation is mostly limited to the team competing in a league where players must be older than 32 years of age.
- Highlight/favorite soccer memory from your time at DU: I have two memories that stick out:
- My freshman year, the team was travelling home from Oklahoma after a few matches in the old "ice cream truck" DU bus. We were about 5 hours into the 12 hour drive (not even half way home), when two players (Nasser Al Abdullah and Dawit Agonafer) had the bright idea to open the emergency exit window, while the bus was moving at 65 miles per hour, in order to "get some air." As you might guess, the window shattered and we had to continue our journey with a piece of cardboard protecting us from the elements. No one was laughing at the time, but in retrospect this is hilariously representative of the funding levels for the DU soccer program during the 90s.
- My junior year, we travelled to St. Louis to play a few teams (including UMSL and University of Missouri-Rolla). The UMSL game in particular sticks out as I knew several players on the other team from club soccer as well as the referee (as did Coach Clements, who previously coached the St. Louis Steamers in the MISL). We dominated and, thanks to 2 phenomenal goals from Matt Okoh, comfortably won the match.
6. When is the last time you were back on campus? Do you get back often?I had the pleasure of getting back to Denver during soccer season in November of 2016. I arranged my schedule so I could attend the DU home game against Portland and experience the "new" facilities which are amazing. The match was the last regular season game prior to the team's historic run to the NCAA College Cup (i.e. final four). I still have family in Denver and get back quite often, but I rarely am in town during the Fall.
7. Favorite non-soccer memory from your time at DU: Living in the Kappa Sigma house with Peter McGahey, where a student could roll out of bed and be in class in less than 5 minutes.
8. Where do you see yourself in 10 years? Doing much of the same as I am doing now.
9. What is your greatest accomplishment? I hope my greatest accomplishment is yet to come. That said, I know that I am blessed to have had a successful career (thus far) as an actuary. My career has enabled me to use my DU education, travel the world, meet countless people from diverse backgrounds (including my wife) and experience a great deal of personal satisfaction.
10. What advice do you have for the current Pioneers about life after college?: The world is a competitive place. Make the most of the opportunities that DU offers so that you can leverage your experiences into future opportunities. Dream big but set short term goals to sign post your progress along the way.
